Category: tips

There’s no magical vial that leads to the fountain of youth, however, the secret to having beautiful skin is easier and more obtainable than you think. Here are my 10 best kept beauty secrets that I’ve implemented into my lifestyle.

Protect with SPF 30 sunscreen // The best anti-aging tip I’ve been advocating is sunscreen! I don’t just write and review about it, I actually wear a broad spectrum UVA/UVB of at least SPF 30 sunscreen every day. Read my sunscreen post, here.

Wear a hat // Growing up I used to make fun of my mom looking like a beekeeper on sunny summer days. If you are to see my mom now, she has beautiful, smooth skin and does not look her age. At all. Now, you’d often find me in a lightweight long-sleeve and a hat, hoping I age as gracefully.

Drink enough water // To be honest, this is a daily struggle for me. It’s easy if I’m at my desk sipping out of my rainbow sippy cup. When I’m out and about I take my water bottle and drink to stay hydrated. Find a water bottle that works for your lifestyle and make sure you take it everywhere with you.Continue reading →

For all of 2017 this free Parks Canada Discovery Pass gives you unlimited opportunities to discover and enjoy National Parks, National Marine Conservation Areas, and National Historic Sites across Canada! We’ve been wanting to go visit Banff, Glacier, Jasper National Parks for quite some time now. Perfect timing!

Please note:

You only need to order one pass for your group or family if you are all traveling together. A 2017 Discovery Pass is valid for everyone arriving in the same vehicle at a national park, or arriving together at a marine conservation area, or historic site.

The Discovery Pass is only accepted at national historic sites which are operated by Parks Canada.

Activities such as tours or parking that normally carry a separate fee may not be covered by the Discovery Pass.

Camping fees are not included with the Discovery Pass

Validity Period: January 1st 2017 to December 31st 2017.

Display: The 2017 Discovery Pass must be hung from the rear view mirror of the vehicle facing forward or it can be placed on the front driver side dashboard facing up.

If you have questions regarding the above information, please contact our National Information Service at 1-888-773-8888 or information@pc.gc.ca .

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE (NPS) CENTENNIAL FOREVER STAMPs

Happy 100th Birthday, NPS! The US Postal Service is celebrating the NPS Centennial by issuing 16 new forever stamps featuring national parks. These picturesque images will get you to find your hiking shoes, book a camping trip and get back into nature! I miss those vibrant, unreal colors of the Grand Prismatic Spring at Yellowstone National Park and the serene ceremonial sunrise on Haleakala National Park.

My NP bucket list: Acadia, Arches, Glacier Bay, Yellowstone (w/ Wayne this time), Zion. My favorite moment is ascending on top Half Dome in Yosemite (recap post, here). The best yet? These are forever stamps and you can share the love of national parks forever, just like all the memories you’ll create when you get out there and explore your inner wild. #letsgosomewhere

Want to be a Graphic Designer, a Portrait Photographer, or just got promoted and want to learn the fundamentals of what makes a good manager? As a self-help book enthusiast and advocate of continual education, I geeked out when I learned about online learning sites like Lynda.com. Lynda.com is a leading online learning platform that helps anyone learn business, software, technology, and creative skills to achieve personal and professional goals.

Want free access?I went bananas when I learned my County of Los Angeles Public Library card gives me free access to Lynda.com. This is a $29.99 value membership, for free!)

In honor of Voter Registration Day, do your nation a solid and register to vote in this year’s presidential election. It only takes a quick 1:34! That’s faster than me writing this post. Our generation is a big voting bloc and can actually make a difference in deciding who our next president is. Continue reading →

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Friends of Ours.

Hello, and welcome to It’s Jou Life! We’re Wayne and Jennifer, a (relatively) newly wed couple who found love in the most unexpecting place. This is our DIY / lifestyle blog—musing about natural, healthy, artisanal living, and everything in between.

We started this blog because our family and friends always ask us how we grow our own organic vegetables, what is Wayne woodworking on now, to send over our miso black cod recipe, what snacks stock our pantry, a tutorial on that cute zippered pouch, tips for marathon running, where do we worship, what to bring for a camping trip, what’s Jennifer’s skincare regimen… you get the idea. This is our way to share life’s loves.

watch // Stranger Things // Babies of the 80s, rejoice!

As a child of the 80s, this Netflix-original series, Stranger Things, was not only incredible in storytelling and acting, but nostalgic for me. It’s as if The Goonies, E.T. and Goosebumps all made out and Stranger Things would be their supernatural thriller baby. It’s about a little boy who goes missing in a small Indiana town in 1983. And as the town looks for answers, they unravel extraordinary secrets and confront mystical forces. It always kept me huddled, on edge with my fuzzy reindeer socks and left me begging my husband to binge watch the series.

What I love most is the bond between four young boys and a special girl, and their adventurous shenanigans. Do yourself a favor. Watch the first episode and before you know it, you’ll be hooked and your science-fiction world will be enhanced for the better.

On a side note: Well done, Netflix! Netflix is definitely changing the landscape and proving to be a power player on a platform that was once dominated by cable and broadcast TV. Love this show. What do you think is going to happen in season 2?

I sure soaked up the sun during my recent vacation in Hawaii. Between the hours of hiking to explore waterfalls or snorkeling along the Napali Coast, I’ve gotten several shades darker and have gone through most of my sunscreen products I packed for the trip.

These are my favorite beauty products I used during my outdoor adventuring. Some are oldies and I have a new found love (Leaders Too Much Fun in the Sun? Mask from Petaluma & Co)!

Dr. Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm SPF 45 // When I’m on vacation I like to keep my beauty bag at a minimum, so I stick to this multi-tasking genius of a product that provides advanced brightening and anti-aging properties. I use it on its own , its natural-looking coverage minimizes the appearance of imperfections and evens the skintone. I even wore this at a wedding I attended in Maui. My skin is left looking smooth, perfect and natural. This is an everyday product I use in my day skincare regimen.

Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 50+ Wetforce For Face // This is my go-to product when I know I’ll be sweating during my hikes and snorkeling for hours. The waterproof formula keeps my face protected. Just remember to reapply every few hours.

Neutrogena Beach Defense Water + Sun Sunscreen // This does everything a broad-spectrum, waterproof sunscreen should do… and this smells fresh and beach-y clean. I love that it’s lightweight and fast-absorbing.

Honest Company Bug Spray // I didn’t get bit once! I just make sure to spray directly on to my palms, dab on my skin and reapply after a few hours. Best of all? It’s all natural and safe for babies.

Leaders Too Much Fun in the Sun? Sheet Mask // My after-sun remedy in a pack. I am so in love with sheet masks right now. There are so many beauty benefits and a cult favorite in the K-Beauty scene. After spending hours at the beach, my skin had some mild inflammation and was pink. This mask saved my face from the embarrassing redness! The olive leaf extract and moisturizing aloe soothed, protected and firmed my skin to help heal and hydrate. It was fun and easy to use too. I left the mask on for 15-20 minutes, ate some chocolate haupia pie, took it off and gently massaged the excess serum into face and neck until fully absorbed. Talk about pampering while on vacation. It instantly relieved my irritated skin and healed my overexposed skin.

The Dr Jart+ and Shiseido products are from the Sephora Favorites Sun Safety Kit 2016. Read more about this in a previous post, here.

The Leaders Too Much Fun in the Sun? Sheet Mask can be bought from Petaluma & Co., here.

It’s that time of year again! The popular Sephora Favorites Sun Safety Kit hit the shelves-just in time before my summer trip to Hawaii.

I love everything about summer and that means enjoying the great outdoors and cool waters responsibly. I’m an avid believer and user in using a broad spectrum (UVA + UVB) sun protection of at least SPF 30 for my face and SPF 45 for my body.

So naturally as a lover of Sephora + SPF I always buy Sephora’s annual Sun Safety Kit. It’s a curated collection of everything SPF to protect from head to toe. This is a perfect introduction to try various products carried at Sephora, like tinted sunscreen, primer, self-tanner, BB cream and makeup setting sprays. It’s also a wonderful way to try different types of sunblock products–physical (zinc oxide, titanium dioxide) and chemical-based (oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate) sunscreens. The sizes are perfect–airplane-friendly and compact enough to place in my purse.

I picked up the Sephora Sun Safety Kit 2016 at Sephora and it is packed with favorite oldies and new products I look forward to trying. This year it’s $32 (retail value $127) for 15 products. Best part? Sephora will donate $20 from the sale of the kit to the Skin Cancer Foundation. For more information about the charity, visit www.skincancer.org.